Overtoun Bridge

The Overtoun Bridge is an arch bridge located near Milton, Scotland, over the Overtoun Burn. A burn is a term used to describe a type of stream which is smaller than a river. Milton is a village in West Dunbartonshire, which is just on the outskirts of Dumbarton. The Overtoun Bridge has gained public attention because of the unusually large number of dogs that have allegedly leaped to their deaths off the bridge. It is not known exactly
when or why dogs began to leap from the bridge, but news stories and studies have indicated that these deaths might have begun during the 1950s or 1960s, at the rate of about one dog a month.

Overtoun Bridge

The long leap from the bridge onto the waterfalls of the Overtoun Estate almost always results in immediate death. Inexplicably, some dogs have actually survived, recuperated, and then returned to the site to jump again. These dogs are known to the locals of Dumbarton as “second timers.” The
dogs have mostly jumped from one side of the bridge, during clear weather, and have mostly been breeds with long noses. No explanation has yet been
found.

There have been a number of theories as to why dogs are choosing to end their lives by jumping off the bridge, ranging from the bridge being haunted to the canines suffering from depression, or even picking up depressed or suicidal feelings from the bridge. However, the explanation which seems to be the most logical involves the presence of minks on the banks of the burn. The mink’s powerful anal glands leave marks wherever they go and the strong musty smell they produce is of interest to dogs.

It has been suggested that the height of the bridge’s granite walls significantly impairs the dogs’ sense of sight and hearing, so when they go to investigate the smell, they are unaware of the massive fall that awaits them. However, this explanation doesn’t satisfy all. It is still puzzling why the dogs all jump from roughly the same spot or why they return for a second jump if initially unsuccessful. There is something quite eerie about this bridge.

In shock, the rescuers didn’t know what to do. The group had recently canceled several adoption days at the market because of bad weather, so they were over their capacity with puppies still needing to be adopted out. Also, the abandoned puppies were so small that they needed to be fed every two hours, including at night.

That’s when a spayed stray dog approached, lay down beside the shoe box where the puppies were sleeping, and began caring for them.

She wouldn’t let anyone get near the babies.

Very carefully, the rescuers placed the puppies closer to her.

She began caressing them and offering the warmth of her belly to the newborns.

The maternal instinct kicked in and…

after a few hours, she had milk and was feeding the puppies.

The rescue group named her Vida, which means “life” in Portuguese.

The photographer was sure that he was going to see the end of his dogs when the polar bear wandered in.

It’s hard to believe that this polar bear only needed to hug someone!

The polar Bear returned every night that week to play with the dogs. And here’s a video of them playing:

Sleeping Dog

An older, tired-looking dog wandered into my yard. I could tell from his collar and well-fed belly that he had a home and was well taken care of. He calmly came over to me; I gave him a few pats on his head; He then followed me into my house, slowly walked down the hall, curled up in the corner and fell asleep.

An hour later, he went to the door, and I let him out.
The next day he was back, greeted me in my yard, walked inside and resumed his spot in the hall and again slept for about an hour. This continued off and on for several weeks.

Curious I pinned a note to his collar:

I would like to find out who the owner of this wonderful sweet dog is and ask if you are aware that almost every afternoon your dog comes to my house for a nap.

The next day he arrived for his nap, with a different note pinned to his collar:

He lives in a home with 6 children, 2 under the age of 3 – he’s trying to catch up on his sleep. Can I come with him tomorrow?